Important Definitions

AmateurismA student-athlete loses his/her
amateur status and thus shall not be eligible for intercollegiate
competition in a particular sport if the student-athlete (or
his/her parent or legal guardian):

uses his/her athletics skill (directly or indirectly) for pay
in any form in that sport;

accepts a promise of pay even if such pay is to be received
following completion of intercollegiate participation;

negotiates, signs, or enters into any oral or written agreement
with an agent;

competes on any professional athletics team or receives any
compensation from a professional sports team; or receives, directly
or indirectly, a salary, reimbursement of expenses or any other
form of financial assistance from a professional sports
organization based upon athletics skill or participation.

Representative of Athletics Interest (Booster)A "representative of the
institution's athletics interests" is an individual, independent
agency, corporate entity (e.g., apparel or equipment manufacturer)
or other organization who is known (or should have been known) by a
member of the institution's executive or athletics administration
to:

have participated in or be a member of an agency or
organization that promotes the institution's intercollegiate
athletics program;

have made financial contributions to the athletics department
or to an athletics booster organization of that institution;

be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics
department) to assist in the recruitment of prospective
student-athletes;

be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to
enrolled student-athletes or their families; or

have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution's
athletics program.

Some examples of a representative of athletics interests (i.e.,
booster) are: fans, undergraduate students, graduate students, all
university faculty and staff, and alumni. (This is not an
exhaustive list). ONCE A BOOSTER ALWAYS A
BOOSTER!

Extra BenefitAn extra benefit is any special
arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the
institution's athletics interests (booster) to provide a
student-athlete, or his/her relatives or friends, a benefit not
authorized by the NCAA. The benefits a student-athlete may not
receive include, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

money;

special discounts;

payment arrangements or credit on a purchase (e.g., airline
ticket, clothes) or service (e.g., laundry);

free or reduced-cost professional services not available on the
same basis to the general public or student body;

use of a telephone or credit card for personal reasons without
charge or at a reduced rate;

entertainment services (e.g., movie tickets, meals, use of a
car) from commercial agencies (e.g., theaters, restaurants, car
dealers) without charge, or at a reduced rate, free or reduced-cost
admission to professional athletics contests from professional
sport organization, unless such services are available to the
student body in general;

guarantee of bond;

signing or cosigning a note with an outside agency to arrange a
loan;

preferential treatment, benefits or services based on athletics
reputation or skill or pay-back potential as a future
professional;

free or reduced-cost athletics equipment, supplies or clothing
directly from a manufacturer or commercial enterprise;

payment or other compensation for work not performed or at
unreasonable levels of the work performed;

employment arrangements for student-athlete's or prospect's
relatives or friends;

payment of registration fees or other expenses to attend a
Santa Clara sports camp or clinic;

use of personal property (e.g., car, summer house,
computer);

holiday or birthday presents;

promise of employment after college graduation;

payment or arrangement for payment of transportation costs
incurred by a student-athlete or prospect's relatives or friends;
or any other item or service given because an individual is a
student-athlete.

RecruitingAny solicitation of a
prospective student-athlete or a prospective student-athlete's
relatives or legal guardians, by an institutional staff member or
by a representative of the institution's athletics interests for
the purpose of securing the prospect's enrollment and participation
in the institution's athletics program.

Recruited Prospective Student-AthleteActions that cause a
prospective student-athlete to become recruited include, but are
not limited to:

providing a prospective student-athlete with an official visit
(i.e., a visit to an institution's campus financed in whole or in
part by the institution);

having an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with the
prospective student-athlete and/or the prospective
student-athlete's parents/legal guardians or relatives;

initiating or arranging telephone contact with the prospective
student-athlete, the prospective student-athlete's relatives or
legal guardian (s) on more than one occasion for the purpose of
recruitment; or

issuing a National Letter of Intent to the prospective
student-athlete.

ProspectA prospective student-athlete
(i.e., prospect) is an individual who has started classes for the
ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not started classes for
the ninth grade becomes a prospect if the institution provides any
financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does
not provide to prospects generally. A prospect remains a prospect
until one of the following occurs (whichever is
earlier):

The individual registers and enrolls in a minimum full-time
program of studies and attends classes in any term of a four-year
collegiate institution's regular academic year; or

The individual participates in a regular squad practice or
competition at a four-year collegiate institution that occurs
before the beginning of any term; or

The individual officially registers and enrolls and attends
classes during the summer prior to initial enrollment and receives
institutional athletics aid.

ContactAny face-to-face encounter
between a prospect or the prospect's parents, relatives or legal
guardian(s) and an institutional staff member or an athletics
representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an
exchange of a greeting. A meeting that is prearranged or takes
place at the prospect's school, competition site, or practice site
is considered a contact regardless of the conversation that takes
place.

EvaluationAny off-campus activity
designed to assess the academic qualifications or athletics ability
of a prospective student-athlete, including any visit to a
prospect's school (during which no contact occurs) or observing a
practice or competition at any site.

Contact PeriodA period of time when it is
permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to
make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and
evaluations.

Evaluation PeriodA period of time when it is
permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to be
involved in off-campus activities designed to assess the academic
qualifications and playing ability of prospective student-athletes.
No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall be made with the
prospective student-athlete during an evaluation
period.

Quiet PeriodA period of time when it is
permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the
member institution's campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting
contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet
period.

Dead PeriodA period of time when it is not
permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on
or off the member institution's campus or to permit official or
unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes to the
institution's campus. It remains permissible, however, for an
institutional staff member to write or telephone prospects during a
dead period.

Official VisitA visit to the member
institution's campus financed in whole or in part by the member
institution.

Unofficial VisitA visit to an institution's
campus made at the prospect's own expense. An institution may
provide complimentary admission to an on-campus athletics event in
which the institution's team competes and transportation to view
off-campus practice or competition sites within a 30-mile radius of
the institution's campus when accompanied by a staff
member.